X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Overvalued Backup Running Backs - Rhamondre Stevenson, Alexander Mattison, Travis Etienne

Who doesn't love to draft a player late and see him blossom into a league winner? That can often be the case with running back handcuffs covering for starters that fall down to injury or enter the season holding out. Drafting a no. 2 running back late, or even getting him from waivers close to (or for) nothing can turn into a league-changing move.

I have already said it in the paragraph above: the key for those players to be truly valuable is getting them as late as possible for the cheapest of payments. The problem? Sometimes fantasy GMs put so much into those backups turning into league winners that their prices skyrocket and their values plummet given their all-or-nothing profiles.

With the season getting closer and the summer getting hotter, it is time to dish out some names worth avoiding in your drafts at the prices they're currently going for. Let's get to it!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Rhamondre Stevenson, NE (115.8 ADP)

It's not that I am in absolute love with the Patriots' offense, but hey, I'm not such a hater as some folks out there trying to bury all of Mac Jones, DeVante Parker, Damien Harris & Co. these days. The problem with the Pats, at least as I see them, is the fact that they have a quite balanced offense in terms of the talent of the player they boast and the share of opportunities they'll get, thus limiting their upsides on a murderous way.

Who will get more looks and produce more among the receivers? Hard to know, given all of Parker, Jakobi, Bourne, Agholor, and even rookie-WR Tyquan Thornton could be considered to be equals. Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith at the tight end position? That's a tough call. And what about the backfield? Damien Harris is supposed to be the RB1 and the tailback tasked with carrying the ball for the most times (PFF projects him to 195 carries compared to Stevenson's 150) with limited production on pass plays (just 11 projected targets). The problem? Stevenson is projected to an even lower eight targets next season.

While Harris comes with a 41.3% rushing-attempt share among all Patriots and Stevenson a 31.9% (already way lower than Harris' figure), Harris has a 2.1% target share to Stevenson's 1.6 while they have ADP marks of 82.2 OVR and 115.8 OVR as I'm writing this. I'm not saying Harris is a must-draft player (at least not as I'm writing this at the start of June and with that respective ADPs) but he's definitely more valuable than Stevenson at this point. If Stevenson's ADP starts sinking, then maybe he turns into some sort of potential value if something happens to Harris. Until then, don't chase him at that below-12th-round price.

More valuable RBs around his ADP: Michael Carter (116.2), Ronald Jones (114.2), James Cook (110.2)

 

Travis Etienne, JAX (45.0 ADP)

You might see this pick as cheating, but it's not such a thing by the letter of the law. Checking PFF projections for the upcoming season, Etienne is the actual RB2 of the Jaguars in terms of opportunities (159 to James Robinson's 197) and also in terms of offensive targets/carries shares (37.2% to JR's 45.3%). Of course, Etienne is going to eat big time but that comes with a couple of conditions that could heavily impact his fantasy outcomes.

First of all, health. Etienne has already missed a full campaign and is entering his redshirt rookie season in 2022 as he didn't appear in any single game last year. That said, it must also be acknowledged that James Robinson missed time himself playing only 14 (13 "starts") of the possible 17 games over the full 2021 campaign. Even then, though, Robinson was good to finish RB24 after putting up an RB7 season in his first year as a pro two seasons ago in 2020.

Secondly, and perhaps most important, is how Jacksonville handles Etienne and Robinson. It's been reported that Etienne could play a similar role to that of Deebo Samuel in San Francisco. That had GMs going crazy last summer, but he never truly got to see it happening on the field... and it's still not something we have witnessed in the NFL. Robinson won't be taking slot/outside/whatever snaps and opportunities from Etienne, but he is a capable pass-catcher with 46+ targets in all last two years catching 31+ passes for 222+ yards. Nothing incredible, but still average. And having Etienne taking the eyes of the D off Robinson should also benefit the latter have more room running from the backfield, all things considered.

I know Etienne could be considered a secondary/starting/RB-WR hybrid and that he comes with a very weird and fuzzy definition. I also think his current ADP of 45 OVR is, no matter how you look at it, a massive overpay these days given all of the question marks floating above his head. In all honesty, that's too rich for my blood.

More valuable RBs around his ADP: Josh Jacobs (42.4), Ezekiel Elliott (39.9), Elijah Mitchell (55.0)

 

Alexander Mattison, MIN (132.4 ADP)

Do you remember when we all fell for oft-injured Dalvin Cook? Good times, those ones... sadly, those health issues seem to be in Cook's rearview mirror by now. Yes, he missed 12 games in 2017 and then only played 11 in 2018, and if you still believe in injured Cook, then you will highlight the fact that he's played "only" 14, 14, and 13 games in the past three years. Yes. Yes, he has. Yet even then, he has finished RB6, RB2, and RB16 in those years, respectively, while never getting fewer than 249 carries and 49 targets.

Mattison is often put at the same level as Tony Pollard--who also has Ezekiel Elliott above him in the Cowboys pecking order--as the go-to backup rusher to draft. The thing is, Mattison has completed three seasons (13, 13, and 16 games played) in which he's never topped an RB39 finish nor averaged more than 7.9 PPR points per game. Not so good-looking for a guy often drafted among the top-50 RBs off the board every summer, is it?

Alex can rush the rock, sure, but prior to last year, he was nearly an afterthought on pass plays (12 and 15 targets his first two seasons, 39 last year) so that's an area where he could never put up numbers. His rushing has not been bad (434+ rushing yards three years in a row) but his scoring is mediocre (six rushing TDs in 330 career carries) and the ADP (132.4) looks a little bit higher than it should be all things considered. Cook projects to a 68%+ carry-share and a nice 11%+ target share among Vikings while Mattison sits at 18% and 5%, respectively.

More valuable RBs around his ADP: Nyheim Hines (142.8), Darrell Henderson (144.6)



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tee Higgins8 mins ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase14 mins ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski43 mins ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun51 mins ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon58 mins ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray1 hour ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić1 hour ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post1 hour ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry1 hour ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.3 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White3 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey3 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.3 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.3 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant3 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith4 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton4 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin4 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins4 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez4 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner4 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma4 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam4 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard4 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo4 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh4 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis4 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins4 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold5 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews5 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin6 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson6 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad6 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil6 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich6 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech7 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman7 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter7 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish7 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt7 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.7 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar7 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada8 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons8 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons8 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers9 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams9 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo9 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke9 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee9 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler10 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano10 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland10 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis10 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías10 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera10 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
Ronny Mauricio10 hours ago

Won't Play In Spring Training Games
New York Jets11 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders11 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush12 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens14 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks14 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.14 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell15 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson15 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney15 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain16 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher16 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield16 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott16 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin16 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov16 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron16 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick17 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli17 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin17 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin17 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar17 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR17 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski17 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones17 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez17 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar17 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece18 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano19 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell19 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports' First Pole At Las Vegas
Austin Cindric19 hours ago

Qualifies Third But Is Almost Guaranteed To Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe19 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard To Predict
Ty Gibbs19 hours ago

A Solid DFS Option In Theory
Shane Van Gisbergen19 hours ago

Too Inexperienced At Las Vegas For DFS Consideration
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 day ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell1 day ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers1 day ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov1 day ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Joel Armia1 day ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Available Saturday
Adam Fox1 day ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles1 day ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Eeli Tolvanen2 days ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Tight Ends to Buy or Sell (2025)

It's tough to find good tight ends in dynasty fantasy football. Unfortunately, it's also very easy to be stuck with one that sticks around in the doldrums of low production. Such is the case for many TEs, and even those who have good seasons here and there often lack consistency year over year. It's not […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers - Fantasy Football Outlooks from Florio

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

Josh Downs Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlook (2025)

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]